4
QUEENS WEEKLY, JULY 7, 2019
Maps reveal how the
west won it for Cabán
BY MARK HALLUM
While Tiffany Cabán
held a 1,100-vote lead
over Borough President
Melinda Katz entering the
scheduled July 3 count
of absentee ballots in the
Queens district attorney
primary, maps from CUNY
Graduate Center show
election districts that went
heavy for the insurgent
Democratic Socialist.
Not only does the
research in the maps
depict territories clearly
more dedicated to Cabán,
but they also show that the
public defender posed a
surprise challenge to Katz
in the borough president’s
own turf: Forest Hills and
Kew Gardens.
Katz dominated in the
southeast, while retired
Judge Gregory Lasak
swayed majorities in
traditional conservative
strongholds across Queens
in the northeast, Howard
Beach and the western
Rockaway Peninsula.
About 28 to 50 percent
of votes in Queensbridge
and Astoria Houses
went to Katz, giving her
the advantage in those
election districts.
But they were enclaves
in what turned out
to be Cabán country,
contrasted by deep
red indicating 60 to 95
percent of voters choosing
Cabán over the six other
candidates on the ballot.
Approximately 70 to
100 percent of voters chose
Katz in Far Rockaway
districts, while parts of
Fresh Meadows also voted
heavily for the borough
president, whose term is
up in 2021.
After the polls closed
on June 25, Katz and
Congressman Gregory
Meeks – Queens County
Democratic Party chair –
said they would seek a full
count of absentee paper
ballots that they believed
would tip the race in
Katz’s favor.
“When you look at the
map you realize there
are many more election
districts where Cabán
received 70 percent or more
of the vote than Borough
President Katz did, so
supporters who turned out
for Cabán really turned out
more strongly,” said Steven
Romalewski, who heads
up the CUNY Mapping
Service, told QNS. “There
are almost two poles of
support: there’s western
Queens and southeastern
Queens. But between all of
that there is a lot of mixed
support. The votes weren’t
strongly for one candidate
or another.”
“What that tells me is
that Borough President
Katz could have done a
lot better, but she didn’t,”
he added.
Romalewski pointed
out that although Katz’s
support is depicted in
green across wider swaths
of the first map, the pie
chart map illustrates just
how much Cabán and
other candidates may have
watered-down the vote.
“I think it’s premature
and incomplete to say that
Cabán is the candidate
of places that people
consider are gentrifying.
She got support in a lot of
other places, maybe not
enough support to win
those election districts
but still she made a strong
showing in many parts of
the borough,” Romalewski
added. “It’s not that she
did poorly, but I would
have imagined it to be
much stronger.”
Romalewski also
said this was an election
with low voter turnout,
which only 11 percent
of registered Democrats
making their way to
the polls.
Queens had not seen a
competitive race for DA
in over 28 years, since
Richard Brown was
appointed to succeed John
Santucci, and while other
counties have brought
reforms to the office,
policies have remained
mostly unchanged.
Lasak, on the campaign
trail, claimed that while
he worked to overturn
wrongful convictions
during his time in the DA’s
office, Brown was resistant
to creating an official
unit that would vindicate
innocent people sitting
behind bars for crimes
they did not commit.
And as the criminal
justice community has
long debated eliminating
cash bail, Albany only
recently voted on a
statewide reform this year
in April.
Credit: CUNY Mapping Service
Haitian sounds at
LIC Summerstage
The Tabou Combo orchestra, celebrating its 50th anniversary, brings Haitian dance music to
Queensbridge Park as part of the SummerStage music fesitval. Courtesy of SummerStage
BY BILL PARRY
SummerStage rolled
into Queens for its annual
residency with three shows
in Springfield Park that
began on Friday before
moving into Queensbridge
Park for three more.
For more than 30 years,
the concert series staged by
the independent nonprofit
City Parks Foundation
has rocked Central
Park, but for the last 15
they’ve been delivering
the same to parks in the
outer boroughs.
“What we do is bring
world-class entertainment
for free to make the arts
and culture available
in all five boroughs,”
City Parks Foundation/
SummerStage Executive
Artistic Director Erika
Elliott said. “We try
to have something
for everyone by being
regional and hyperlocal,
to be representative of the
community itself.”
Mighty Sparrow/
CASYM Steel Orchestra
kicked off the festival
Friday, July 5, bringing
Trinidadian Calypso to
Springfield Park less
than a mile north of JFK
International Airport
at 149th Avenue and
Springfield Boulevard.
On Saturday, July 6,
“Uncle” Ralph McDaniels,
the longtime host of Video
Juke Box, and friends
including Soul Jam, Blue
Magic and DJ Hollywood
took the stage. Today,
Sunday, July 7, Tabou
Combo/Lakou Mizik/
DJ Sabine in association
with Afro-Latino, the selfproclaimed
“ambassadors
of konpa” bring their
style of Haitian dance
music. The orchestra is
celebrating their 50th
anniversary this year.
“Springfield Park is a
great location and we’re
so happy to be back,”
Elliott said. “It’s such
a great community and
people really turn out for
that one.”
SummerStage moves to
Queensbridge Park along
Vernon Boulevard just
north of the Queensboro
Bridge on Thursday, July
11, with Aterciopelados,
one of Colombia’s first rock
bands. They will be joined
by the bluesy, Bogotabased
rock band Diamante
Electrico, who hold a pair
of Latin Grammys for Best
Rock Album and opened for
the Rolling Stone’s firstever
show in Columbia.
“Queensbridge Park is
a sensational venue with
sweeping views of the East
River and the Manhattan
skyline,” Elliott said.
The festival continues
on Saturday, July 13, with a
celebration of Argentinian
music featuring socially
conscious singer Leon
Geico, who is known as the
“Bob Dylan of Argentina.
The festival wraps up
Sunday, July 14, with
Denis Nicole White, better
known as her stage name
Avery Sunshine bringing
her soulful, jazzy songs of
praise and worship.
“There is plenty of
open space in both parks,”
Elliott said. “And it’s free.
All you have to bring is a
blanket to spread out or
some folding chairs.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
/schnepsmedia.com
